constant companion for seventeen years and--and--Mary, help that boy to some of that cream. His eyes will come out of his head if he stares at it much longer. Give him plenty, and a big slice of cake."

"Yes, mistress; but he does look as if he'd enjoy his victuals better if his face was washed first."

Poor Towsley! Only that terrible shyness, which again gripped him so that he turned all cold and shivery, prevented him making a dash for the door and liberty. The glances of both mistress and servant seemed to pierce him like knives; and he wished--oh! how he wished!--that he had never walked into that trap of a parlor to be scorned and talked at as if he were a wooden boy.

But Molly was nothing if not loyal, and she came to the rescue in fine style.

"No doubt he'd like his face clean same as another; but if a body doesn't happen to have a bowl and towels handy, what is a body going to do? If we'd known we were coming to pay this visit I'd a had him in to our kitchen and scrubbed and